For one person, living is cheaper in Agra: $403 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Agra actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $403 in Agra.
Phuket $1,208
Agra $403
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $615 in Agra.
Phuket $2,027
Agra $615
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $826 in Agra.
Phuket $2,845
Agra $826
🌍
Living in Phuket is roughly 200% more expensive than in Agra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket11% lower, Agra70% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Agra
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.40฿147
$3.14₹298
40.13%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.26฿1,078
$15.62₹1,484
106.53%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.76฿293
$3.67₹349
138.69%
Cappuccino
$2.83฿94.5
$2.02₹192
40.10%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90฿30.14
$0.41₹39.18
119.51%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47฿15.56
$0.14₹13.50
235.71%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.55฿85.2
$2.09₹199
22.01%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83฿128
$2.56₹243
49.61%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Agra
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.73฿57.7
$0.71₹67.1
143.66%
White Bread(500g)
$1.47฿49.11
$0.55₹52.6
167.27%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.51฿50.6
$0.74₹70.7
104.05%
Eggs
$2.17฿72.7
$1.09₹104
99.08%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$19.70฿658
$3.55₹338
454.93%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.34฿112
$4.57₹434
-26.91%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$11.16฿373
-
-
Apples(1kg)
$2.85฿95.1
$1.59₹151
79.25%
Banana(1kg)
$1.70฿56.9
$0.59₹55.7
188.14%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.19฿73.3
$0.80₹76.0
173.75%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.05฿68.4
$0.81₹76.5
153.09%
Potato(1kg)
$1.45฿48.57
$0.36₹33.96
302.78%
Onion(1kg)
$1.38฿46.16
$0.46₹43.69
200.00%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.07฿35.69
$0.84₹79.9
27.38%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51฿16.91
$0.28₹26.43
82.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26฿142
$4.90₹466
-13.06%
Wine(Bottle)
$18.58฿621
$7.31₹694
154.17%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78฿59.7
$1.42₹135
25.35%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85฿95.2
$2.58₹245
10.47%
Buffalo Round(or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat)(1kg)
-
$7.38₹701
-
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Agra
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.26฿75.6
$0.31₹29.27
629.03%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$22.10฿738
$15.86₹1,506
39.34%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.01฿101
$0.30₹28.95
903.33%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.06฿35.34
$0.20₹18.95
430.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$3.86฿129
$1.25₹118
208.80%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.45฿48.45
$1.06₹101
36.79%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.3K฿879.9K
$11.3K₹1.1M
131.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K฿900.4K
$19.2K₹1.8M
40.48%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Agra
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$96.4฿3,221
$53.5₹5,084
80.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.04฿369
$3.41₹324
223.75%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.14฿573
$6.49₹616
164.10%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Agra
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$52.2฿1,744
$17.82₹1,692
192.82%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.16฿373
$12.99₹1,234
-14.09%
Cinema Ticket
$7.81฿261
$3.18₹302
145.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Agra
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$556฿18.6K
$34.77₹3,302
1498.88%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$11.6K฿387.0K
$1,162₹110.4K
896.37%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Agra
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.2฿2,146
$33.29₹3,162
92.85%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.69฿959
$19.57₹1,858
46.60%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$95.4฿3,187
$50.3₹4,774
89.66%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.0฿2,940
$27.81₹2,641
216.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Agra
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$737฿24.6K
$122₹11.6K
502.25%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$462฿15.5K
$52.0₹4,941
788.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,095฿70.0K
$184₹17.5K
1037.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,201฿40.1K
$63.8₹6,060
1781.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,488฿116.6K
$1,035₹98.3K
236.99%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,523฿84.3K
$167₹15.8K
1413.49%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Agra
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$501฿16.7K
$297₹28.2K
68.74%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.57
8.33
-33.13%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026
Last update for Agra: October 18, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$462 38.3%
Agra
$52 12.9% ↓ 88.7%$410
🛒Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$269 22.2%
Agra
$108 26.8% ↓ 59.9%$161
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$125 10.3%
Agra
$63 15.7% ↓ 49.1%$61
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124 10.3%
Agra
$59 14.6% ↓ 52.6%$65
🍽Eating Out
Phuket
$121 10%
Agra
$78 19.4% ↓ 35.5%$43
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$68 5.6%
Agra
$24 6% ↓ 64.3%$44
🚌Getting Around
Phuket
$39 3.3%
Agra
$18 4.6% ↓ 53.3%$21
🏠Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$1.2K 42.2%
Agra
$64 7.7% ↓ 94.7%$1.1K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$606 21.3%
Agra
$234 28.3% ↓ 61.4%$372
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$136 4.8%
Agra
$67 8.1% ↓ 50.7%$69
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$276 9.7%
Agra
$131 15.9% ↓ 52.6%$145
🍽Eating Out
Phuket
$396 13.9%
Agra
$232 28.1% ↓ 41.5%$164
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$147 5.2%
Agra
$61 7.4% ↓ 58.2%$85
🚌Getting Around
Phuket
$83 2.9%
Agra
$37 4.5% ↓ 55.1%$46
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $122 in Agra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Phuket pays 69% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.
🛒Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $16.00 in Agra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $108 per month, with Agra cheaper across the board.
Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.
City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)
The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Phuket vs Agra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phuket or Agra?
Agra wins on cost – living expenses run 200% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Agra the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Phuket or in Agra?
Average pay runs 69% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Phuket compared to Agra?
Rent for a central apartment: $737 in Phuket versus $122 in Agra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Phuket or in Agra?
Supermarket bills run roughly 149% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Phuket and in Agra?
Dining out is cheaper in Agra – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Phuket or in Agra?
At $403 in Agra versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Agra but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Agra the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Phuket or Agra?
Both work as nomad bases, but Agra delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $403 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Agra hard to pass up.
How safe is Phuket compared to Agra?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Agra are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Agra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 200% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.